Saverio Mercadante

Mercadante was the leading Italian composer in Italy between Donizetti and Verdi. Inspired by French grand opéra, particularly Meyerbeer and Halévy, he wrote a series of “reform operas”:

I have continued the revolution begun with Il giuramento: varied the forms, banished trivial cabalettas, exiled [Rossinian] crescendos, short tessitura, fewer repeats, some novelty in the cadences, care with the dramatic part, orchestra rich without covering the singing, no long solos in the ensembles, which force the other parts to be cold to the detriment of the action; little bass drum and still less brass band.

These reform operas influenced Verdi; in some ways, he’s a more polished musician, but lacks Verdi’s emotional directness. Whereas Verdi concentrates his music, Mercadante often expands. His harmonies and orchestration are more adventurous, and his numbers can be astonishingly long.

Orazi e Curiazi is monumental. Here are two frescoes from the opera:

The oath scene

…and the Act I finale:

Virginia, Mercadante’s last work, is a good ‘un; another Roman piece, about the father who kills his daughter to save her honour. It has an exciting trio:

Most of Mercadante’s operas are on YouTube (including radio broadcasts). Kirill’s channel on YouTube (formerly known as LindoroRossini) has a lot of highlights, including:La vestale – Octet ‘Quanto mi cinge’: